Gene Green, Democratic congressman from Houston, has been to Israel 5 times in 18 years
Great reporting by Michael Duke at the Jewish Herald-Voice, a Texas publication. Now before you blame Christian Zionists for all these trips-- and I agree, Christian Zionists are blameworthy as a component of the lobby--note that the organizations that are sending the congresspeople there by and large are Jewish ones, notably AIPAC's spinoff American Israel Education Foundation. (As I reported last summer of AIEF funders, It's people like the Kimmels, the heart and soul of the liberal Jewish establishment.)
Israel is the top overseas travel destination for working members of Congress and staffers.
Congressional officials took 1,387 privately financed trips to the Jewish state between 2000 and 2011, according to data collected by the congressional transparency website, legistorm.com.
More congressional Democrats – 731 – have visited Israel on official business, compared with 649 Republicans, over the past 11 years. Support for Israel is one of the few issues that continues to enjoy bipartisanship from an otherwise deeply divided U.S. Congress.
Of the 32 Texas members in the U.S. House of Representatives, 12 have visited Israel for a total of 26 different reported business trips, either by themselves or by staffers. This figure does not include personal and family trips to Israel over the past decade.
Texas Congress members who have traveled to Israel have a strong pro-Israel voting record. ...
Democratic Rep. Gene Green, Dist. 29, and staff have visited Israel five times during the Northeast Houston congressman’s 18 years on Capitol Hill – the most of any Congressional Texan....The American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the lead sponsor of congressional trips to Israel, including trips for Texas Congress members. Besides the AIEF, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s Community Relations Committee, the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League have sent elected officials from Texas to Israel.
I looks like Texas became some kind of headquarter that tightens the Israeli-US bonds. Rick Perry is another Texan ,pro-Israeli “president in making.
He is such a weasel that I cann’t even look at him, let along listen to him.
What do the junkets actually do? Don’t these evangelical Christians already know everything they need to know about Israel from the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation?
“What do the junkets actually do?”
It’s all about “relationships”–the Israelis make these idiots think they are respected and play on their egos as powerful members of the US gov..
They feed them sob stories about little Israel and try to impress them with Israel’s “democracy”, accomplishments, value to the US and so forth.
It’s like me wanting something from you and inviting you to dinner so I can slober all over you and tell you how wonderful you are so you will think I am wonderful too.
Ehrens, they’re not all evangelical Christians.
But of those that are, their knowledge from those books is not self-taught. Oh no, it comes through the Hagee type glasses of those they fawn to. In this area they aren’t able to think for themselves or see the meaning or relevance/irrelevance of what is written.
And apart from that they’re pushed by the prevalence of the Israel-first pressure that comes from others, and by the baubles of office it’s likely to bring or keep.
“What do the junkets actually do?”
They provide oppotunites for congress with exceedingly young, attractive, Israelis. Right in front of the cameras hidden in the hotel rooms.